Unwritten
by iLoveMeSomeCaptainAmerica
Summary: It really sucks when you find someone that's so beautiful and handsome and perfect, but then you get slapped in the face by reality: he's in love with someone else. AU. Possible five-shot.
1. New Year, Old Story

_**~Clary~**_

You all know the story.

The unfortunate little girl that still hasn't gone through puberty, whose best friend just happens to be captain of the football team, unbelievably handsome, male-model material, and so popular that his name is an icon.

They've known each other their whole lives. He knows her better than anyone else and she knows him better than he knows himself. He's upset, he'll give her a call and they'll stay on the phone for hours, until the sun begins to rise. She's upset, he'll be standing at her bedroom door, not even ten minutes later, with a bucket of ice cream and all of the Red Box that Walmart has to offer.

Both stubborn as hell, too smart for their own good, and the perfect partners in crime. They aren't Jace...and then Clary. They're Jace and Clary.

Perfect.

But there's a twist, and I'm sure all of you can guess what it is.

Yup, the girl––me––falls in love with her best friend only to watch him fall in love with someone else.

* * *

I look in the mirror and imagine it shattering. A simple crack at first, and then, once it has fully digested my hapless looks, it just completely goes _kaboom_._ Freckles_. They're _all over the place_. _Glasses_. The ones my wannabe-hipster dad gave to me once he discovered contacts. _Short_._ Too skinny. No boobs_._ No butt_.The list is just horrible.

My hair is a tornado of red curls of all different sizes. Yeah, I've tried the Chi, I've even tried to get a blowout, but the wild rats-nest upon my head will always prevail.

And, the only things that I actually like about myself are way too big for the rest of my body and hidden behind my glasses. My eyes are literally like two moons! I mean, it's like they've been photoshopped onto my face from a bush baby's. And their color doesn't help either. Emerald green. They're super bright––too bright–– and stand out _everywhere. _

I've been called a leprechaun too many times in my life.

I would love to be like the other girls, you know, the ones that can actually pull their hair back in cute updos, but my hair is so thick that it just completely snaps any hair tie that I try to tame it with.

Old ladies absolutely adore my hair. The problem: they're old ladies. And they love _all _hair because they don't have any.

I would trade my mop for _anything_! Even my favorite pushup bra––well, maybe not that...

_Tap. Ta-ta-tap tap. Tap. Tap._

I jump in surprise and whirl away from my mirror to face the window, which is always left open for my favorite person in the world. Jace.

His knuckles rest on the windowsill, and his perfect, toned and chisled body is angled towards the tree that he always climbs up when he comes over. Gah. Everything about him is just flawless. From his head––where his beautiful gold tendrils curl in an effortlessly tousled style––to his toes. He has _nice _toes.

It's like his face belongs on America's Next Top Model. Just so...sublime. Flushed lips. Bronzed, rubber skin, a smoldering smirk, and gold eyes––which are totally looking at me as if I had grown four heads.

The blush that taints my cheeks in inevitable and I hastily look down to straighten out my jeans. Which makes no sense at all. "My dear Clary, devine as always. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

I roll my eyes at him. "Need I remind you that _you're_ the one that scared the living bejesus out of me, by _climbing up a tree _to get inside _my room_?"

"Details," he said, shooting me a rare smile. Jace swings his legs through the narrow space he'd been sitting in, and uses his arms––corded with muscles––to pull the rest of himself all the way through. He lets out an energetic sigh and, when he stands up to his full height, I have crane my neck at a dangerous angle to be able to see his face.

"You've gotten taller over the summer," I observed.

"Or you've gotten shorter," he challenged playfully, taking a moment to look me up and down. "I missed you Clary."

"And a lot nicer."

He scoffs, smothering me into a giant hug before I have any time to react. My face is pressed into his chest, cutting off my airways, and his hands, nearly the size of my entire torso, don't allow me any leverage or room to pull away. I didn't care though. I wrap my arms around his waist and welcome his embrace.

Then something happens.

I feel his lips press against my forehead.

For a second I am too stunned to even think, but then a warm sensation blossoms in my belly and spreads like a wildfire all throughout my body. I looked up to see Jace looking down at me. "I really did miss you," he whispers.

"I-I uh missed you too."

Afraid that he'd feel how shaky I had gotten, I wiggle out of his hold and spin towards my dresser. "Before we head to school...I uh, got you something for your birthday."

"You didn't have to do that, Clary––"

"I did too." I turn my face slightly towards his to see his expression. Hard to read, like always. "It's not much, but...the chain that you keep your family ring on is a piece of yarn," I chuckle, " and I thought that it needed something that would do it justice."

I open the top drawer and pull out a small blue box. Before I can open it, however, Jace's fingers were plucking it from my grasp. His eyes were wide with interest and, when he finally figures out how to remove the bow on top, he drops the package all together to admire the long, gold chain in his hands.

"Sorry I couldn't get you more––"

"No," he looks at me, "it's perfect. Thank you."

"I thought that you'd like it if it were longer so that you could hide it under your football gear when you play."

He nods and repeats, "It's perfect."

I watch as he removes the thin rope from around his neck and rips it in half to retrieve the gold ring that had been hanging there. Before he undoes the clasp on the back of his present, however, he turns to me, with a hopeful look in his eyes. "My fingers are a too big to get this open. Do you think you could...?"

I gratefully take it and string the ring across the silky, gold chain, holding it out for him. Once it's resting against his shirt, perfectly fitted, Jace holds out his hand for mine and winks. "We don't want to be late on the first day, now do we?"

* * *

**_~Jace~_**

"Tell me about your little friend Clary," Sebastian says nonchalantly as he slips his jersey off, over his head.

I send him a heated glare, which goes unnoticed as he sits down on the bench, his helmet resting on his lap, his attention on the opposite wall of lockers.

"What's it to you?" I ask, though I had a pretty good idea as to what his answer would be. Sebastian Verlac was a bigger player than myself, which says basically everything you need to know about him; he's a total jerk to guys and girls alike, he's cocky, he's manipulative, and he only thinks with his dick.

I personally hate the guy's guts, but, because he'd made the cut this year, I've been forced to have to tolerate him. Which, so far, hasn't been going too good.

"She's cute."

"She's too good for you," I tell him, without missing a beat. _Not_ Clary. "So don't try anything."

Clary, the most beautiful and wonderful and deserving girl you will ever meet, has hidden behind her wild hair and glasses for years now. But that hasn't stopped guys from asking me about her. Of course my answer would always be the same every time: _Don't even think about it_, and, because I am who I am, and I have a reputation for breaking some guy's leg in the seventh grade, they've listened and left her alone.

But Sebastian...

He smirks, standing up to face me. "Oh please. I know girls like her. She won't be able to stop smiling for a week if a guy like me talks to her, even if it's just to return her the pencil she dropped. She's pretty but she doesn't know it. She hides behind her dorky glasses. She's naive and easy––"

Before Sebastian can say another word, he's thrown up against my locker. "You don't know _anything _about her. If you touch her I swear to God I'll kill you. _Don't _you ever talk about her like that again. Got it asshole?"_  
_

The guys surrounding us, having been completely oblivious up until this point, all take several steps back, giving each other high-fives discreetly, watching with excitement, their eyes hungry for a fight.

Sebastian, with the backs of his knees pressed against the bench and the back of his head forced against metal, smiles, causing my arm to automatically push harder against his neck. "She'd be so easy Jace," he spits.

"_Take it back_!"

"She won't be so innocent when I'm done with her––"

"_SHUT UP_!"

"WOAH! Come on guys––Herondale, Verlac, break it up!" Coach Johnson, with his clipboard, stalks towards us, throwing me off of Sebastian, but not without a fight. I am maneuvered a safe distance away from the other boy, who's smiling smugly, knowing that I let him get to me, and forced to look in the eyes of our coach. "One more strike Herondale. That's all I'm giving you." Then he turns to Sebastian. "You too, Verlac. Get it together!"

I've never taken Coach's warnings seriously, because he's said the same thing to me about three times this season all ready.

When the door to his office slams shut, Sebastian tilts his head to the left and then to the right, smiling at the popping noise. "I don't get why you care so much anyways," he begins in a low voice. "It's not like you like her––" he cuts himself off abruptly, a sly grin slithering its way onto his pasty face. "Wait, you do! You like her, don't you?"

"No!" I snap. "_I don't_. But she's my best friend, Sebastian, and I care about her more than anything else in this world. So don't mess with her. Ever. Or you'll be sorry."

He holds up his hands. "Ooh! I'm _so scared_!"

Refrain. Don't punch him. _God. So hard._

"Your threats mean nothing to me, Herondale. I get what I want. And I want her."

I scoff, fighting to keep calm, finding it, in this moment, the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my entire life. "Clary is smart. She won't fall for whatever you have up your sleeve."

"You know," Sebastian drawls out, "knowing that me liking her bugs you this much makes it all the more pleasurable."

"You're such a prick."

"What's her favorite type of flower?"

"Go to Hell," I snarl.

"Color?"

"I'm serious. Stay away from her."

Sebastian pretends to be momentarily dazed, stroking his chin and then smiling as if a glorious reprieve has graced him. "No can do, pal. I'm sitting with her on Wednesday during college algebra...And then I'll 'accidentally' bump into her, win her over with a cheesy pickup line off of Instagram, and write my phone number on her hand. In Sharpie."

"Good luck," I gritted out.

"Thanks, but I don't need it."

"_Fuck you_."

"Don't you mean Clary?"

His laughter didn't last long, ceasing as soon as he was knocked to the ground by my now throbbing fist.

* * *

**I know. I'm really stupid for posting this story, but...when you have inspiration you can't let it slip through your fingers. It won't be this fluffy for long. There will be, in my opinion, some very sad scenes. **

**And this fic also won't be over 30 chapters. I'm thinking of making this more of a three, or four, or even five-shot. Depends on the reviews and response I get. **

**Hopefully you guys have enjoyed the first chapter.**

**Until next time, peace.**


	2. Two Dogs in a Day

**~Clary~**

"Your homework assignment shouldn't be too hard tonight––you're welcome," said Mr. Levine, flashing the class a smile, holding up a stack of yellow papers, fresh out of the copy room. "All you have to do is a scavenger hunt." _Groan_. "There's twenty problems, and, yes, since this is a college algebra class, you'll be required to do some actual math."

Worst teacher ever.

Mr. Levine, looking as smug as ever, slowly strided down each row, licking his thumb every so often to retrieve the next sheet available in his hand. He passed out the assignment as slowly as possible, very much aware that he was taking up our passing period time.

_Come on man. Jace is waiting for me by my locker! _

As soon as he handed me mine, I jumped to my feet, throwing my backpack over my shoulder, and took off in a determined jog. However, when I was nearly a foot away from the door, I collided into a mass of flesh and was sent flying to the ground, ass-first.

I looked up, only then realizing that my glasses were no longer on my face. "What the hell!" I shouted.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I honestly didn't see you there," a familiar voice exclaimed, sounding concerned. _Verlac_. Shit. _This _was the boy that had broken Maia's heart in the tenth grade. This was the boy that might as well should have a tattoo on his forehead that read 'danger' in all capital letters.

I tried to squint, but all I could make out was his blurry, blob of a face growing closer and closer until his hands were secured around my wrists, heaving me up off the floor. As soon as I was back on my feet, I yanked myself away from him and crossed my arms over my chest.

"You know," he drawled out, "without those glasses, you're actually pretty cute."

"_Thanks_." What a compliment.

He hadn't even called me cute, just _pretty _cute.

"And your eyes are simply breathtaking," he breathed.

"Okay," I snapped, "I don't know what you're trying to pull, but it's not going to work, and, in case you haven't all ready noticed this, I can't _see _you!"

I heard him chuckle. "You sure are feisty."

I scoffed.

His blobby hands were suddenly getting closer to my face, but, before I could jerk away, I felt the comfort of my glasses return to me. I blinked a few times before glaring at the boy in front of me.

Black hair. Black eyes. Skin paler than mine. And a blue and purple bruise brandishing his right cheek.

I was surprised that he didn't have more marks.

"Thanks for shoving me to the floor and momentarily blinding me, but, if you don't mind, I have somewhere I need to be," I pressed, trying desperately to make my way around him. I had become especially weary of the situation once I recalled Jace telling me to stay away from him over dinner on Monday. He hadn't gone into detail as to why, but his tone had said it all.

"_Wait_. Clary," Sebastian called, his grip returning around my forearm, forcing me to face him.

"Let me go, Sebastian."

He looked bewildered, as if me not being interested in his charm was absolutely horrifying. "I'm sorry for running into you, I really am, but...there's something I've been wanting to ask you for a while now––"

"No."

"_Clary_. I haven't even asked you anything yet––"

"And I said 'no'. I don't want to hear anything you have to say."

I heard snickers behind me and I twisted around to see that we had drawn a small crowd. Great. Sebastian seemed to have noticed too because his expression went from disbelieving to being furious. He dragged me past the nosey bystanders, a few yards down the hall, until it was just the two of us again.

"Just hear me out!"

I tried to wiggle past him, but, to my surprise, I was held in place––or pinned––against the vending machine behind me. "Come on. Just give me a shot. There's a party at my cousin's house this Friday to celebrate the beginning of our senior year. I heard it's going to be really cool...and it'd be even cooler if you there...as my date."

"No thanks."

I had never been asked out on a date, and, the only boyfriend I've ever managed to land was way back in pre-k. But there was no way that I was going to settle for some lowlife like Verlac, especially since my mind was set on telling Jace how I felt about him this year.

"I don't think you understand. Don't you know who I am?" he barked, outraged.

"Not really. And I have no intention to find out."

Sebastian let out a low growl in frustration. "You're never going to get another offer like this."

"I'll take my chances."

His eyes flashed and his lips pulled back in a snarl, making me want to back down, but, being the stupid girl that I am, I stayed as I was and never let my stare waver. Then he did something that I wasn't expecting: he smiled, almost as if he were relieved.

"I know why you're being such a bitch to me, Clary." I tried to pull out of his grasp, but it only tightened. "I see the way you look at him. At your precious Jace. You like him, don't you?"

"No," I hesitated, trying to deny the truth, to deny something that was so personal and meaningful to me. How the hell would he know something like that?

"You do. You're in love with him."

"No, Sebastian. You don't know what you're talking about."

He ignored me completely. "Well I hate to be the barer of bad news, but your little friend told me that you're nothing more to him than a little sister just the other day. He doesn't love you. He never will. To him, you're absolutely pathetic and, if anything, he feels sorry for you––"

"_Shut up_."

Sebastian snickered. "And you know it too, don't you?"

I felt the backs of my eyes sting, even if it was likely that he wasn't telling the truth. But, somewhere, deep down, his words were getting to me, because, even if I had convinced myself that it was all in my head, Jace had never looked at me like I know I look at him. Not once.

In all the years that we've known each other he'd never tried to kiss me or make a move, like what usually happens between a girl and a guy in the movies. He'd managed to get my hopes up more times than I can count. He'd talked to me about the girls he'd dated, just like I was one of his buddies, he'd even laughed when I admitted to him that I've never been in a relationship before.

_Was I in over my head_?

No.

I couldn't be.

But...

"Oh, I never meant to make you cry," Sebastian said sardonically, in mock sincerity, wiping at a stray tear with his thumb. "It's almost funny that you thought that you had a chance. Look at him and then...look at yourself. You're not beautiful or tall or mysterious. You're an open book, no bigger than an eight year-old boy, and...cute, but nothing more.

"I have to say that I'm proud of myself for helping a girl like you out, even if you don't deserve it. I guess that I'm the bigger person," he laughed, eyeing my body up and down. "_Literally_. Now you don't have to chase after this completely absurd dream of yours anymore."

He looked at me expectantly, as if waiting for a 'thank you', but, what he got was anything but. I had no idea when or how it happened, but he was suddenly stumbling away from me, clutching his already bruised cheek. _I'd slapped him_. Oh my God...

I looked at my hand and then at the enraged teenage boy, who looked as if he were going to explode at any moment. "You...you bitch!" he shouted, pointing at me accusingly. I shied away. "Bitch. You'll be sorry, Clary, more sorry than you'll be when Jace turns you down himself. I swear."

And, with that, he was storming away, leaving me alone in my now deprecating thoughts.

* * *

**~Jace~**

All throughout human government I was an absolute mess, nearly pulling out my hair. I'd took a picture of Clary's schedule with my phone and memorized it. While she was in college algebra with Verlac, I was here, unable to help or protect her.

I swear to God, it he tries anything...

"Hey, you okay?"

I looked up and spat, "_No_. _I'm not_."

"What's wrong?"

Just when I was about to retort something nasty I cut myself off. I hadn't realized how pretty the girl that was talking to me was until now. _Wow_. "Uh...nothing. Sorry."

"Don't be," she smiled. "It's nice to see a guy with actual feelings for once. At my old school all the guys were the same and were convinced that they were 'too cool' to care."

It was hard to concentrate on what she was saying. She was probably the prettiest girl that I'd ever seen. Perfect olive skin that looked smooth to the touch, big, blue eyes, a friendly smile, brown hair...Had she been at our school this whole time?

She giggled, snapping me out of my daze.

Never had a girl left me speechless.

"I'm Emily. I moved here over the summer from D.C."

"Uh...Hi, I'm Jace. Hi?"

"Oh I know who you are," Emily said. "You're face is plastered on posters all over this place and you're all anybody seems to be able to talk about. This is my third day here and I know everything about you from the girls in my PE class."

"W-why'd you move?" was all I could think about asking.

"My dad's the new principal here."

"Oh!" I exclaimed. "You're Emily...Louthan?"

Soon this Emily girl was all that I could focus on; her voice, the mesmerizing look she kept giving me, how I could talk to her so freely without any fear that'd she'd judge me, how interesting and intriguing and beautiful she was.

Everything about her was perfect.

* * *

**~Clary~**

I waited at my locker for Jace. Every day was the same: he'd climb through my window in the morning, we'd share a packet of Poptarts, then he'd drive us to school in his red sports car. Then, after the bell rang, he'd meet me by my locker and we'd hang out at my house until he either had to go home for dinner or until it was too late.

This time, however, I was going to change things up a bit. After my talk with Verlac I had deduced that I wasn't going to wait any longer. Today was going to be the day that I was going to tell Jace about my feelings. I was tired of waiting in the dark and just worrying over all the what-ifs and possibilities. I needed to suck it up and just go for it.

I needed to get my answer.

At 3:45, as usual, Jace rounded the corner to my locker, however, this time, he had a smile on his face. He looked happy. _Too _happy.

What had I missed?

"There she is!" Jace exclaimed as soon as his eyes met mine.

"Hi?"

"Clary...I need to tell you something, and quickly before it's too late."

"Okay...I need to tell you something too––"

"Do you think I can go first?"

"Of course."

Jace was never this excited about anything, so, whatever it was, it must be awesome. Maybe he'd gotten me tickets to see the Goo Goo Dolls in concert?

Jace raked a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. "So...there's this girl––" my heart seemed to skip a beat "––and, all this time I've been oblivious and stupid...because I haven't noticed her until now."

Could he be talking about me? His gold eyes were so lively and animate, staring intensely into my own. I felt myself smile and my cheeks warm. _Finally_. This was finally happening.

"She's so beautiful, Clary. And she doesn't look like the other girls. She's unique and natural and _real_. Her hair is curly and she's..." he breathed. "She's out of this world, I tell you. She really tall––"

Wait. What?

_Tall_. _I _wasn't tall.

No.

No.

No.

My heart and stomach seemed to have switched places.

"Her name's Emily Louthan and her dad's the new principal here. I wanted you to know before she comes back; she's getting her stuff and, I hope it's okay, but after I drop you off I was planning on taking her to my house to hang out and do homework. You understand, right? It's only for today."

Jace had never talked about a girl like this before and, to think that I actually thought that he was talking about me made it that much worse.

Afraid that my words would betray me, I nodded, struggling to hold my smile.

Jace hugged me in relief. "She's really cool, Clary––almost as cool as you, and...I think that she could be something special."

"Oh," I managed, trying to laugh, "that's..._awesome_. I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks," Jace smiled. "So...what did you want to tell me?"

I felt the tears coming and my throat starting to burn. I didn't have a doubt in my mind that I couldn't handle meeting this Emily girl, who, in order to make Jace this happy, must be absolutely exquisite. And beautiful.. And perfect. And extraordinary. Everything that I'm not. In comparison she was probably a Barbie doll and I...I was a Cabbage Patch Kid.

"It can wait," I told him, knowing that Jace would never be mine, that he'd most likely laugh in my face if I told him the truth.

"Come on, you can tell me," he urged me. "You can tell me anything." I shook my head and wiped at my nose. "_Hey_, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. I promise. Everything's perfect," I swallowed, blinking through tears, "don't worry about dropping me off. I'll just walk––"

Jace' smile vanished. "_Clary_. It's really not a big deal. I always drop you off. Please tell me what's bothering you––"

"It's nothing."

His hands locked around my shoulders. "I'm not letting you go until you tell me."

I offered him a smile and felt a hot tear roll down my cheek. "You should be able to get to know Emily without me there, okay? I want to walk so––"

Jace scoffed. "When have you ever _wanted_ to walkhome, Clary? You never take the stairs, ever, even if they're a hundred feet closer than an escalator. You're lying."

"_I'm not_."

"Yes you are. Now, are you going to be a baby about this, or are you going to tell me what's bothering––"

"Nothing is bothering me!" I shouted, startling Jace and myself. Jace never yelled at me. I never yelled at him. I lowered my voice and held his desperate gaze. "Nothing's bothering me, so...please just...let me go and have fun with Emily."

"Is that what this is about?" Jace asked. "You're afraid that I'm going to replace her with you? Clary, that's _never _going to happen! I promise! You're my best friend and nothing will ever change that."

"No. You don't understand Jace."

"Then help me to understand––"

"No."

"Clary."

"No, Jace."

Jace pulled away from me, his hold disappearing altogether. He looked angry. "You're acting like such a brat."

I shook my head and whirled around in the opposite direction, taking long and determined strides towards the exit, letting the tears fall freely now, avoiding peoples' worried glances as I passed them.

"Clary!" Jace called, his footsteps chasing after mine. "Clary, stop!"

"Just leave me alone, have fun with Emily. And I'll see you tomorrow. At school." I kept walking and, when the doors banged closed behind me, I ran.

* * *

**It'll get more dramatic than that. Trust me.**

**Hopefully this chapter and the previous one will keep you interested and eager for the next one. I didn't get a lot of reviews, but I got good response and the reviews that I did receive were really kind and more meaningful than just 'please update'.**

**Sebastian is still going to be in this story, just an FYI. And he's not going to be very nice.**

**Thanks for reading(:**

**Until next time, peace.**

* * *

**Oh! And I went back and added a few details to Jace and Sebastian fight in chapter one! Not a lot, but, yeah...**


	3. Stupid Boys

_**Jace~**_

Earlier this morning I had gone over to Clary's place to pick her up––as I always did on a school day. However, my heart had literally plummeted into my gut when I got there: the window was closed. The window that was _always _open, that _I _always climbed through, was closed. And, not only that, but the curtains were also drawn, which were just the other day, if I remember correctly, long forgotten, tucked away in an old FedEx box in her closet.

All last night I had been swamped with the foreignness that my best friend was mad at me. I hadn't been able to eat, sleep, or properly think.

With that being said, my study date with Emily hadn't gone as planned; Clary kept popping up in my mind and I just couldn't stop replaying what had been said, what had happened. It got to a point where I just completely ignored Emily––not intentionally––but noticeably enough for her to get angry. She'd eventually called her mother and had her pick her up, telling me before she left, "Uh...Thanks."

At the time, I would've cared more if not for the more important matter at hand: _Clary_.

When I had woken up, I had been in quite the sour mood. I had blown it with the new principal's daughter, and, the girl that I couldn't go an hour without thinking about and or talking to had declined all of my calls and texts. _  
_

And, as I had raced to her house, I had come up with the most reasonable explanation as to why she'd been so angry with me the other day. _I had been an idiot. _Clary and I always hung out together after school, and there I was, springing the news on her that I had met another girl who, if I wasn't imagining things, Clary had undoubtedly got the impression that I'd much rather hang out with.

I knew Clary better than anyone, better than I knew myself, and it had been foolish of me to forget that.

After leaping from my perch in the tree, I had quickly strided towards the front door, not hesitating to knock as loudly as possible, completely ignorant of the fact that her father was still probably sleeping. _I needed to make things right. _However, I had stopped my progress abruptly when the surface my fists had been pounding against disappeared. There, standing in his usual jeans, open-toed sandals, and plaid shirt, had been Clary's father.

"Oh, uh, hey Mr. Fray," I had stuttered, in momentary shock that the man had actually gotten up before noon.

"Ah, Jace," he'd breathed, "Clary and I missed you last night at dinner."

Guilt had clawed at my throat as I'd nodded. "Yeah, I'm really sorry...I just had, um, a lot of homework to take care of. I came here to take Clary to school––is she upstairs?"

Mr. Fray had frowned slightly, confusion evident in his older features. "I took her to school about twenty minutes ago. She said she had a project to take care of."

"For the _first week _of school?" I'd exclaimed in disbelief, now fortifying the knowledge that I'd messed up big time. I had originally thought that I could make it up to her by leaving my place a few minutes early to grab her a Starbucks on the way, but, now...She had been so desperate to avoid me that she'd forced her father to take her instead. _Shit. __  
_

"Sorry kid," he'd shrugged before quietly shutting the door and leaving me to drown in my mistake.

* * *

_Find Clary. Find Clary. Find Clary. _

I blindly rounded a corner, my destination obvious, but seemingly impossible to get to. I just wanted to get to Clary's locker, but, of course, there had to be people and obstacles _everywhere_. Laughter filled my ears, but it only made me think of Clary's laugh, loud chatter rattled through me, making me think of her voice. _Please forgive me._

Then, with no more than fifty feet to go, someone was blocking my path. My first instinct was to barrel right through them, but, as my mind cleared slightly and my nose filled with a familiar, sweet perfume, I stopped. Emily. She looked breathtaking, her hair now straightened, her makeup more bold, and her smile more confident.

"Hey Jace," she said.

"Hi," I nodded. Though there was a beautiful girl in front of me, I was still set on the task at hand, my mind boggled with distractions.

Suddenly I felt her fingers trail along my neck, igniting a trail of goosebumps on my hot skin. Emily leaned closer, grabbing a fist full of my shirt as she did so, regaining my attention. "I'm sorry I had to leave so soon last night. It's just...you seemed a little...upset."

"Yeah," I managed, attempted to detach her body from mine, struggling not to give in. "Look, Emily, I'm really sorry, but I have something I need to do."

Her blue eyes widened and her bottom lip pursed. _Oh God._ "What's bothering you, Jace. You can tell me...Maybe I could help."

I shook my head quickly, trying to avert my attention elsewhere so that she'd get the hint. "No––"

"What's wrong?"

I let out a long exhale, knowing that she was going to be very hard to get rid of. But at the same time, it was nice for a girl to care so much about me, it was nice for her to want to be there. I had been a real jerk last night, and yet, here she was, trying to make _me _feel better. "It's my best friend, she's mad at me. I need to make it up to her."

"Your best friend is a girl?" Emily asked, her eyes flashing.

"Yeah––"

"Why's she mad at you? How could anyone be mad at you?"

"It's a long story––but I can't talk to you right now. I'll see you late––"

Emily giggled to my surprise, abruptly wrapping me in her lean arms and pulling me closer. "It's so nice to see a guy who cares so much."

"Emily––"

She leaned away slightly, grinning up at me. "I'll leave you alone so that you can fix things with your little friend––though I'm sure you didn't anything wrong––_if _you make it up to _me_ tonight."

I raised a questionable brow. By agreeing to hang out with Emily tonight, it would totally defeat the purpose of my whole plan; how was I supposed to make Clary forgive me if I was just going to ditch her once again for the same reason? "I'm really sorry, I'd love to hang out with you, but I can't."

"Yes you can," she countered, laughing as if I had actually told her 'yes'.

"_No_, I really can't. Clary––"

She grasped me firmly, forcing us to stand chest to chest. "If she's really your best friend, then she'll understand. Tell her you're sorry, and then be done with it. You're a big boy, you can do whatever you want."

Our position was most agitating, her minty breath mingling with my own, her hooded eyes locked with mine, our hearts beating surely against the other. What made this girl so extraordinary? Why is it that I wanted to listen to her? My best friend was mad at me, and I was determined to get to her, and yet, I couldn't help but become sidetracked. _Why? _Was Emily really capable of changing me? However, if the answer was _yes _to any of my questions about her, why did it, deep down, not feel _right_?

"Okay," I told her, hesitating a little. "Deal."

"Meet me by my locker after school," she winked, inclining forward until her lips lightly brushed against mine. I felt a pleasant shudder run along my spine and I smiled at her genuinely. "There's a a whole lot more where that came from."

Our fingers intertwined, our hands slowly lowering from out chests as Emily persisted to make slow steps backwards. "I promise that you won't be disappointed," she whispered before fully turning away and strutting into the sea of fervent students. I stayed put until I could no longer see her, in a seemingly unbreakable trance.

* * *

As soon as I spotted Clary, I felt a fire erupt within me. Someone was standing next do her. And that Someone was Sebastian Verlac.

I immediately paled and stopped dead in my tracks. _Was _that _why she'd been so upset? _Oh my God, I was a bigger idiot that I'd originally thought. Before I had met Emily the other day, I had been worried sick about Sebastian making a move on Clary, and, at the end of the day, I had totally forgotten to ask her if anything had happened between them. _Had he hurt her? Why the hell was he standing next to her now? _

The closer I got, the more conversation of theirs I was able to hear:

"...I said, leave me alone," Clary snapped," in the process of unloading a couple books from her locker.

"Oh come on, don't be like that," Sebastian pressed, his hand reaching for her, slowly leaving a trail along her arm before she jumped away from him, seemingly angry. "I forgive you for the other day," he told her, earning a scoff in return.

"Take the hint," she deciphered, "I don't want anything to do with you. There are other poor girls out there that would be more than happy to take you up on your offer, but I'm not one of them."

Sebastian suddenly straightened up his stance, his demeanor no longer calm in collected, his expression emitting his anger. Before I knew what was happening, he was snatching up Clary's dainty elbow in his massive hand––in comparison to her––and forcing her to look at him, slamming her locker shut.

"Okay, listen here––"

"If you have any logic whatsoever in that head of yours, I'd leave her the hell alone," I growled at the other boy, now within reaching distance of them. To see him treat Clary so poorly, even if he hadn't initiated anything too major, was enough to make me want to rip him apart, limb from limb.

Sebastian sighed, leaning into Clary slightly and bowing his head before pushing himself off of the wall next to her to face me. I watched intently as his hold on her disappeared, shooting him a lethal glare afterwards. "Listen you asshole, if ever so much as see you looking at her again, I'll––"

"I'm really not interested in hearing anymore of your pathetic threats, Herondale," Sebastian sneered.

"Leave Clary alone. I mean it."

"You know," he drawled out, knowing just what to say to put me on even more edge, "I would, but...I really don't want to. You see, your little friend here is a challenge, a nice change compared to all the other girls that just _fall at my feet_. I know Clary is dying to do the same, and until she does, I can't leave her alone."

I heard Clary scoff and caught a glimpse of her rolling her eyes.

"So...You're just going to 'win her over' by stalking her?" I deadpanned, trying not to let my anger show through and inevitably failing miserably.

He chose to ignore me and turned to Clary. "Save me a seat tomorrow in college algebra, doll-face." After tossing her a wink, he strided into me, making sure that our shoulders would hit, and continued on down the hall.

The two of us kind of just stood there for a few moments, both trying to grasp what had just happened. "Clary," I began, "you need to tell me if Sebastian––"

"Don't worry about him," she said, "he's just trying to get a rise out of you."

"That may be, but I also think he wants to...take advant––"

She held her hands up and her eyes widened. "_No_. Don't say anything."

I smiled down at her, "You're so innocent."

"And you're so corrupt."

My laughter filled the space between us and I gently lifted her chin with my hand, forcing her eyes to meet mine dead on. "I'm so sorry about yesterday. I'm such an idiot."

Clary offered up a tiny grin––not her real one––and shrugged. "Don't worry about it."

"Cla––"

"Don't worry about it. I was just in a bad mood and...Things just weren't going my way." Was she lying? She sounded sincere, but I could also tell that there was more behind her words, that she was definitely hiding something.

"You should've told me about Sebastian."

"Why?"

I scoffed. "_Because _he's a ticking time bomb and I don't want to see you get hurt. The guy's bad news, Clary, and he's...well he's just very unpredictable."

"He won't hurt me."

The thing was, though, that I knew that he would hurt her. If she continued to refuse him, I knew that he'd explode and possibly end up hitting or doing something worse to her. But Clary didn't understand that. She always saw the good in others, no matter how scary they could truly be.

Clary was so pure and down to earth that I didn't ever want to have to think about someone ruining that for her. I'll say it again and probably a thousand times more, my best friend is just a goodhearted, loving, passionate, and brilliant person that deserves the world. I won't let anyone get in the way because, one day, I know that she'll do something great, and she'll need her unmatchable spirit to do so.

"And about Emily––" I started, before getting abruptly cut off.

"You don't have to explain anything, Jace," Clary said softly. "I'm happy that she seems to make you happy...And, as your best friend, that's all that I could ever hope for."

Without giving it a second thought, I pulled her into a bone crushing hug, not taking into account how small she really was. "Can't...Breath!" she stifled no more than a few seconds later.

I laughed slightly before pulling away. "You are amazing, did you know that?"

"Yeah, I may have heard it once or twice."

"Modest are we?" I teased, dragging her into my side so that my arm could fit comfortably around her shoulders. "Thanks for being so understanding, but...don't ever ignore me like that again. When I saw that you had your window shut I nearly had a heart attack, and it didn't help that you denied all of my calls and texts."

I felt her shrug. "It must've been on silent?"

"I'm sure."

* * *

_**Clary~**_

Jace had been on my mind all last night, causing me to toss and turn, boggling my mind. I was literally at war with myself, a part of me battling guilt, and the other part drowning in the hurt that came with Jace finding someone that he genuinely seems to like. All of the years of liking him, of seeing him date girls that he never cared about, of getting my hopes up, were all coming to a tragic end.

I wanted to hate him.

But I still loved him more than anything.

I wanted to be mad at him.

But, wasn't I supposed to be his best friend?

Why should my feelings for him have to change anything?

If he really felt the same way about me, then...he would've made a move by now. It was heartbreaking, more so every time I replayed that simple truth inside my head, but I couldn't be me without him in my life. I couldn't be happy. We were best friends, and, even if my feelings for him probably wouldn't ever go away, I was going to have to try to hide my selfish wants if we were going to continue to be as close as we are.

And so, I lied to him. I lied when I told him that nothing was wrong, that he shouldn't worry, that I was okay with him being with Emily.

He was happy and that was all that mattered.

I was just going to have to deal with it.

* * *

I looked up from my book upon the loud crash no more than a foot away. A beautiful girl with glossy brown hair and big, blue eyes stood on the other side of the table, looking down at me with an unreadable expression. "Mind if I sit here?"

"Oh, no. That's fine," I smiled.

She shot me a tight-lipped one in return and her eyes narrowed. There was an air about her that I didn't like. I watched as she hastily opened up her textbook and started to write sloppy notes in her composition, making me flinch every time her pen hit paper. "Are, um, are you all right?" I asked carefully.

She immediately slammed her notebook shut and slid the books in front of her to the side, leaning across the table on her forearms. "So, you're Clary?"

"Yes-s. Who are you?"

She scoffed. "Oh please. You may fool others into thinking you're sweet and innocent, but not me."

"Excuse me?" I felt my eyes widen as my jaw opened slightly. _Who the hell was this girl?_ "I don't understand."

"Of course you don't," she sneered. "Look, as long as you stay out of my way, we won't have a problem."

"A proble––? Stay out of your way? What did I ever do to you? I don't even think that we know each other––"

She abruptly stood up and gathered her belongings, meeting my confound gaze with a harsh glare. "If you know what's best for you, and you want to stay pretty, then I suggest you do as I say." And, with that, she sent me a wink. "Until next time."

Only when her heels no longer _clacked _inside my ears was I able to breath again.

* * *

**So sorry for the long wait! I hope this chapter was okay––I know it wasn't very exciting, but just you wait until next chapter. I'm actually pretty excited for you guys to read it.**

**Please review and tell me what you guys think will happen next(:**

**Until next time, peace.**

* * *

**Will edit soon!**


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